Former Panthers top draft picks return with Jets

December 4, 2013|By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

While Jets forward Olli Jokinen hasn’t been on the Panthers since 2008, a couple of his teammates, winger Michael Frolik and defenseman Keaton Ellerby are more recent castoffs who have hit their strides in Winnipeg.

Frolik, the 10th overall pick by Florida in 2006, took a detour to Chicago in 2011 where his penalty killing and 10 playoff points eventually helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup last season.

“Ups and downs,’’ said Frolik, 25, of his time in Florida where he notched 21 goals in each of his first two seasons before stagnating under then coach Pete DeBoer. “I had some good years but at the same time we didn’t go anywhere as a team.’’

Frolik said his two greatest influences on how to be a better professional were former Panthers Joe Neuwendyk and Gary Roberts, who worked with him during training camp in 2005.

“Those guys had a huge impact on the way I [am] today,’’ said Frolik, who has 16 points in 29 games for Winnipeg. “How you got to be ready every day, do a lot of exta work everytime you come to the rink; how you got to take care of yourself, the little things you need to get better and stay in this league.’’

Ellerby, 25, the 10th overall pick in 2007, played 125 games in parts of four seasons with Florida (2009-13), before being traded to the Kings for a fifth-round pick the Panthers would send to Buffalo.

Ellerby was picked up on waivers by Winnipeg last month where he’s averaging 14.3 minutes on ice and has three points in 14 games while playing physical hockey.

“It sucks, it’s the worst,’’ Ellerby told the Winnipeg Sun about playing part-time for the Panthers and Kings. “No one likes sitting out and being the seventh guy. It’s challenging to go to the rink every day and know you’re not going to play. Sometimes, you feel a little bit disconnected from the team. But you’ve got to be positive, a good teammate in the locker room.

“If that’s what it takes to contribute when you’re not playing. That’s a big part of what got me through it. If you can battle through that adversity, obviously it’s going to make you stronger.’’

Ellerby is enjoying his newfound ice time.

“They’re letting me play,'' he said. "They want me to stick to what works for me. That’s given me some confidence to just play my game and trust in my abilities and just realize I can play in this league and contribute to this team.’’

Panthers forward Shawn Matthias, 25, who came up the same AHL system Frolik and Ellerby, is happy for his former teammates.

"It's good to see Frolik doing really well,'' Matthias said. "You can see a change of scenery obviously worked out for him. A lot of guys like that, Ellerby's doing better here now, too.

"Sometimes it's the right place at the right time. They're in places where the coach likes them, they're playing a lot and they're thriving.''